Solutions that don’t break the bank, reinvent the wheel or marginalize our teachers are within our grasp. We could have rigorous classes, safe and disciplined schools and treat teachers like valued colleagues rather than easily replaceable cogs, and we could do so tomorrow if we wanted. Disclaimer, this is an opinion and commentary site and should not be confused as a news site. Also know that quite often people may disagree with the opinions posted.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Scott Shine is an absolutely terrible school board memeber

Now ask me how I really feel.Like many of the board members Scott Shine district 2 has often lamented the loss or revenues to charter schools.

Well last night he had the chance to say no to a new charter school trying to set up shop in his district and despite the fact the application met only 6 of nineteen benchmarks, repeated problems with other schools managed by the same chain, all of the schools near the proposed sight doing well (4As, 1B and 1C) and half of them being underutilized he voted to approve the charter school.

In doing so he used some specious arguments to do so. He said parents must like charter schools because they keep sending their kids to them. Well what about the parents who sent their kids to the Acclaim charter school that failed abruptly last spring, the dozen or so other Duval charter schools that have failed or the hundreds that have failed statewide. Parents are often misinformed after all I imagine a few voted for him thinking he would be an able representative and parents are not supposed to be experts on education.

He also said that people in his district rarely sent their children to the districts magnet schools because they like their schools so much and whats not to like as almost universally they are doing well. Since that is the case why would he vote to open a new charter run by a for profit company and manged by people who don't live in Jacksonville which will siphon millions of dollars from the schools in district 2 undoubtedly hurting them?

Why? Why would he vote to injure his district by approving this new school. This is a question the people of district 2 and the city should be asking.